Educational programmes
In order to transform the food system, it is essential to promote a far-reaching cultural change, and above all to influence the food education of future generations. To this end, we have begun projects to introduce sustainable food into school curricula.
Healthier and more sustainable school canteens
Eco-sustainable menu programme at schools.
This is an initiative of the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Education Consortium to promote more balanced, healthier and more sustainable food for children, both at school and at home.
Support is provided to schools that decide to take the step and implement these eco-sustainable menus, which include less red or processed meat and more plant-based protein and promote local and seasonal products. Monitor companies and families are also provided with tips.
In academic year 2022-2023, 31 schools participated and more than 15,000 students benefited from the programme.
“Eat Smart” Micro-Network
Working on sustainable food at schools.
This is a micro-network of schools that use the methodological process promoted by Barcelona City Council’s More Sustainable Schools to work on managing sustainable food as a school project.
The initiative offers a range of resources and services to train and empower teachers. Specifically, it offers training to learn more about the issue, a personalised advice service and the guide Alimenta’t amb seny [Eat Wisely], which contains 32 teaching units that are useful for motivating students and working on this issue from a critical, actionable perspective.
It also suggests organising other initiatives to foster networking and cooperation among schools and different stakeholders in the education community (students, school canteen teams, etc.) that match the motivations and needs of the participating schools.
“Let’s eat everything”
The “Let’s eat everything” educational programme is targeted at schools in the city of Barcelona with the goal of raising awareness of food waste by suggesting a weekly analysis or study of the degree of food waste, including vegetables, meat, grains or fruit and others. The activity enables participants to rethink the meaning of concepts like kilometre 0, local foods and ecological footprint. It also combines games and educational activities that are held on the school playground during lunchtime.
Educational resources
In this section, you’ll find some of the key educational resources to support a cultural and educational shift towards healthier and more sustainable food. These resources are aimed at children and adolescents in both regulated and non-regulated education.
“Commerce and Schools”
“Commerce and Schools” promotes knowledge of the cultural, social and historical environment via local commerce with the goal of creating a critical, responsible culture of consumption among young students. Schools are offered the opportunity to learn about and rethink the local commerce in our city and develop criteria for consuming actively, critically and responsibly.
Barcelona Markets educational programmes
Barcelona’s markets are open to provide primary and secondary schools with educational activities related to healthy food, while students discover these facilities. There are currently three initiatives:
- “Mengem sa, mengem de mercat” [Eat healthily, eat from the market] educational programme: geared at students from nursery school to compulsory secondary education. We invite you to visit the markets to learn first-hand about everything you’re studying at school.
- Service Learning Projects: activity targeted at students from their third year of compulsory secondary education through the first year of baccalaureate. It consists of the initiative “Mercats per la porta gran”, targeted at elderly people, and “Menja’t el món” [Eat the World], targeted at people who have just arrived in Barcelona.
- “Un mercat més sostenible” [A More Sustainable Market] educational programme: this promotes the incorporation of sustainable food and waste management habits among primary school students.
Compilation of Barcelona City Council's food education programmes and projects
The Barcelona Healthy and Sustainable Food Strategy for 2030 highlights the importance of cultural and educational change to move towards healthier and more sustainable food. Within this area, one of the key aims is to introduce this type of food across the board in all schools, both regulated and non-regulated.
Barcelona City Council is working from different areas to ensure sustainable food continues to be gradually introduced into schools and is part of their projects. This is essential to raise children's critical awareness of our food system and the importance of healthy, just and sustainable diets.
To that end, we have a tool to help to disseminate and promote Barcelona City Council's food education projects and resources in schools.
(Available soon)
No wasted food in schools
No wasted food in schools is an initiative that facilitates circuits for the use of food surpluses, with guarantees of safety and sustainability, in educational centers.
News
Noticies Programes educatius
-
19/09/2025 - 10:36 h Commerce and markets The Workgroup on Food Waste in the sphere of education sets out action to prevent it in the cityThis workgroup met internally in the Aula de Sant Andreu on Tuesday, 16 September, to make further progress in the fight against food waste.
-
15/07/2025 - 11:33 h Commerce and markets Food Education Working Group: a space for sharing experiences around sustainabilityUnder the title 'Weaving Food Sustainability', the session aimed to foster a space for dialogue between third-sector organisations and institutions.
-
06/05/2025 - 15:15 h Commerce and markets Barcelona’s children cook up alternatives in a ‘Healthy and Sustainable Masterchef’Around sixty students from early years to secondary school participated in the closing event of the Eat Sensibly micro-network, held at La Fontana Youth Centre, featuring cooking workshops, fun activities, and learning about responsible eating.